When we think about a conversation, we typically understand that it has two parts: speaking and listening. It's a two-way street. I would actually add a third component: hearing. Yes, we talk; and yes, we say we listen. But do we actually hear what has been said? I think hearing requires a subsequent action or reaction. And in the customer conversation, that part is often missing.

When you listen, make sure you hear what is being said before you act or react. When you stop, listen, and really hear, you are better able to understand customers' (or employees', as this applies to both) needs and jobs they are trying to do, allowing you to better design for those jobs or to fulfill those needs. You're also better able to understand their questions or issues and address those or point customers in the right direction to get the issues resolved. In a timely manner.

Not only does hearing ensure you better understand but you may also discover that the customer is saying more than you thought. The tone, pitch, or inflection of his voice or his body language (if you're seeing him in person) can tell you more than the words he is saying. Use those cues, combined with what is being said, to form your response - after the customer is finished talking. If you're ready to reply after his first sentence, you might be missing some things.

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said. -Peter Drucker

If you listen with the intent to
reply, you don't hear everything that is being said. The focus of the
conversation is singular rather than broader, perhaps opening up
doors to other topics, features, sales, options, etc. If you listen with the intent to reply, you...

judge before you know all the facts

are disrespectful

analyze and prematurely form opinions

will misunderstand

miss opportunities

On the other hand, if you listen with the intent to understand, you open up the possibilities. Better yet, listen with intent to...

understand

clarify

show respect

let customers or employees know they are valued

improve the experience

connect

hear

Use active listening as a way to show that you've heard what is
being said. Active listening means that you paraphrase back to the
person you're speaking with your understanding of what he just said to
you. This exercise allows you to confirm not only what you heard but also what your understanding is. It can really help to avoid confusion.

Have you trained your frontline staff to listen with the right intent in their customer conversations? Do they use active listening? Are you hearing- really hearing - what your employees are saying to you?

One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. -Bryant H. McGill

5 comments:

Hi Annette,I think this is one of the biggest challenges that we face when communicating.......waiting for someone to finish so we can say what we want to say. There's no real communication there. It's only a battle of broadcasters.

However, I'm not a really big fan of active listening either. I can see that it can be an interim step to better listening but it can still be 'gamed'.

Personally, I'm a fan of just paying attention, really paying attention to the other person. To quieten our mind and focus our attention on them...to hear what they say, notice how they say, what they look like when they say what they say etc etc without thinking about paraphrasing or thinking about when is the most appropriate time to nod or say 'uhuh' etc etc.

Adrian, I think you hit the nail on the head: waiting for someone to finish so we can say what we want to say. That waiting and our anticipated response stop us from really hearing the rest of what is being said. I admit. I'm guilty.

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CX Journey Inc. is a consulting firm specializing in laying the groundwork required to establish a CX strategy that will drive your culture transformation efforts. Our beliefs are that (1) customer understanding along the customer experience journey is key to developing a strategy that allows both customers and businesses to achieve their desired outcomes, and (2) the employee experience cannot be an afterthought.

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You know the quote, "Success is a journey, not a destination." Well, the customer experience is a journey, too. It's a never-ending journey. Once you've designed the best experience for customers today, their needs change, their expectations evolve, customers change, etc. You'll need to think about the experience today and listen for - and anticipate - what lies ahead. You must always strive to deliver that ultimate customer experience, not only at a single touchpoint but also - especially - along the entire journey. Have you taken the first step?

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